By Nigel Akuani

Port Moresby, PNG, 15 March 2020 -- An Animators’ Seminar was held on 6 and 7 March 2020, at the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNGSI. Facilitating the seminar was Fr Ambrose Pereira sdb, Social Communications Secretary of CBCPNGSI together with the Social Communications team.

The seminar based on the theme, “Keep it clean, Go Green” brought together 11 teachers, 4 male and 7 female, from 9 Catholic Agency Schools here in the nation’s capital, namely: Caritas Technical Secondary School, Boroko, Don Bosco Technical School, Gabutu, Don Bosco Technological Institute, Boroko, De La Salle Secondary, Bomana, Jubilee Catholic Secondary, Hohola, La Salle Technical School, Hohola, Limana Vocational Centre, Gordons Marianville Secondary, Bomana and St Charles Lwanga Secondary School, Gerehu.

“This seminar is a time for you to reflect on your role and purpose as an animator. Do not present yourself as someone older and in a power of dominance, rather be at their level connecting yourself with them and positively guiding them,” said Fr Ambrose as he opened the program.

A special presentation of the book titled Just Land Agreements was also given by its author and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Rabaul, Abp Francisco Panfilo sdb. In his explanation of the book he shared of how the logging industry in recent times had taken a significant toll in drastically reducing the country’s tropical forests. He also gave the participants an insight into the Land agreements that do not benefit the land owners.

Ms Carol Aigilo, Environmental and Sustainability Expert, gave a session on ‘Care for Creation’, and shared her experiences as an environmentalist providing an insight into the devastating reality of the Oil Palm industry on the environment. “The chemicals used in growing and harvesting Palm Oil have a detrimental and long-term effect on the soil making it nearly impossible for anything else to grow around the tree. This is what we are trying to prevent on a bigger scale, especially when large portions of land with virgin forest are cleared for Palm Oil plantations,” she said.

She strongly urged for a collective and proactive collaboration between all stakeholders, government and non-government, to lessen its effects and to effectively protect our forests by formulating sustainable approaches.

Mr Leo Paraha, a new animator of Don Bosco Technical School, described the seminar as an opportunity he could not refuse. “It has enabled me better myself both personally as a person and professionally as a mentor and animator. This has made me re-asses my approach toward my students,” he said.

A Eucharistic celebration was celebrated on Saturday 7 March led by Abp Francisco Panfilo sdb, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Rabaul, and concelebrated by Bp Roszario Menezes, Bishop of the Diocese of Lae; Bp Francis Meli, Bishop of the Diocese of Vanimo; Bp Rochus Tatamai, Bishop of the Diocese of Kavieng.

Light and interactive games were held throughout the day to help relax and engage the participants with each other.

Sessions covered during the seminar included information about the youth radio program ‘Chatroom’, creating school newsletters, recently introduced ‘Youth Alive’ inspirational video, and One-Minute videos reflecting the seminar’s theme, to be shown during the International Short Film Festival this year.

The aim of the seminar was to prepare the teachers be inspiring animators of their media clubs and ensure a practical outcome of the awareness made through the media.

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